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The New Year, for me, has always been an exciting, happy time and always brings the opportunity for what seems like a new beginning, a chance to “start fresh“.  It always seems crisp, clean and exciting! We all get to start with a “new page ” and it’s up to us what we want to “write” on it!

Take a few minutes and reflect on the past year and your goals, but don’t dwell on the past year’s missed opportunities. We need to look ahead with excitement and anticipation for what we can do with the new year’s opportunities (pages) that will be presented.

Whatever you “write” is an opportunity within itself! At the beginning of a new year we are all at the same point, granted some may be beginning with more than others, but we are all beginning!

As you begin writing your business page this year, focus on ways to “work smarter and not harder”.  Eliminate situations that are stressful. Focus on what you did that was positive last year that caused your business to grow and then expand on each of those areas.

I like what Carrie Wilkerson, the Barefoot Exec, says:  Develop your three S’s.  Your Story, your Skill Set, and your Style.  Some may copy or emulate what you do, but they aren’t you and you bring your own Story to the table.

Your Story:  It’s unique to you. Your experiences, your life, where you’ve traveled, where you’ve lived, your family, your work…your Story IS about you.   

My story is born and raised in the south, married to an extraordinary man with 3 wonderful daughters.  Spouse to a husband who suffered and overcame panic attacks and alcohol, and who now has chronic kidney disease due to diabetes and high blood pressure.  Worked outside the home most of my life in the dental profession (about 30 years), and I’m cat lover 1^st –dog lover 2nd. 

Who you are is because of your story, it’s weaved into your fabric – positive or negative – it’s a powerful part of you and your business.

Your Skill Set: What you’re paid to do, what you went to school to do, what you’ve learned while on the job, what you excel in, your special training and expertise.

My skill set and expertise is in the area of the dental business office with proficiency in administrative responsibilities, building patient relations, and using social media marketing.  I’m a social media consultant and coach for dental professionals and my specialized area is in social media, patient relations, and Internet marketing.

Your Style: Your brand, how you’re known, what defines you, what you’re known for in your online  (and offline) communities and in your work.

My style is a southern lady with Christian conservative values, a people person, and sometimes perfectionist who likes it when a plan comes together and we “getter done”!

This doesn’t mean it’s “all about you”, but your Story, your Skill Set, and your Style ARE what makes you…uniquely you!  It’s also what draws and connects you with other (like minded) people!

Sometimes the old saying “You can’t see the forest for the trees” prevents us from seeing new opportunities for marketing and growing our business. Ask a friend or an associate, who’s opinion you value, to comment on what you’re doing or not doing.  Ask them what they see as your story, or your skill set, or your style. You may be surprised by their answers and what they see.

They aren’t seeing the same trees you’re seeing and can offer a different view….they might even help you to be able to “see the forest”!  But, whatever your story, your skill set, or your style is~ always be true to yourself.  Don’t say you’re one thing and your business reflect something totally opposite.  You must be transparent and authentic.

As you begin writing this new year’s “page” don’t lose site of balance. Remember to keep all the pages in perspective. From time to time you will need to turn the pages down, walk away, and take time to enjoy life and everything that goes with it.

So, what do you want to write on your new page this year? It’s all up to you! Just get your “keyboard” going (your story), write one word after another (your skill set) and then…press enter (your style)!!  After all …A New Year Brings A New Beginning!

Technorati Tags: A New Year, Building Business, Dental Marketing, engaging social media, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, Planning a New Year, social media marketing

Social media is presenting many opportunities for practices and busineses to market their business as never before.  This means change and for many of us, change doesn’t come easy because it requires us to leave our comfort zones.

Our comfort zones are just that…comfortable.  We feel good about them, we excell in them, we don’t even have to think about them, we know them like the back of our hand…they wear like a comfortable pair of old shoes. 

But there comes a time, like it or not, we have to replace those old shoes and break in a new pair.  Now sometimes, this can be painful….stiffness, tight fit,  maybe even a blister…but often times that pair of new shoes becomes more comfortable than the old pair and a lot more beneficial for our feet.

That’s how it is with social media.  Like it or not it’s time for a change and we have to replace (or adjust) the old static traditional marketing of print ads and break in the new interacting marketing social media presents.

Social media causes you to boldly go where  you haven’t gone before and this can make it painful…stiffness (learning the how to’s), tight fit (learning how to not be distracted), maybe even a blister (finding what to say and what not to say) but social media is a fast learn, becomes a lot more comfortable (less expensive than traditional), and is incredibibly more beneficial for your practice!

Through your social marketing strategies and platforms, you have an ongoing representative marketing your practice…24/7…creating credibility for you and your practice…gaining their trust…and building profitable relationships.  You’re REAL…they’ve gotten to KNOW you! 

What steps have you  taken out of your comfort zone?

Technorati Tags: changing how to market, Dental Marketing, engaging and connecting, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, Social media and Internet marketing, social media comfort zones, social media marketing

On LinkedIn your most valuable piece of real estate is your Public Profile/Summary area.  What is your profile (or lack of it) saying about you?

As a copywriter, one of the first places I look for information on a person, client, or business is their LinkedIn profile.  I’m amazed at the number of people/businesses that aren’t utilizing their LinkedIn Public Profile area.

LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking site viewed by other businesses, colleagues, prospective clients and patients, and your competition.

If you had the opportunity to advertise (Free) your business/practice on the front page of your city newspaper, would you jump at the chance to share the benefits of your business or would you just pass it up?  I’m sure you would jump at the chance!

Similar to a newspaper, your LinkedIn profile area is your ‘Front Page’ opportunity to tell your viewers – who you are, what you do, and most importantly…how you can solve their problems.  

Here you want to list your business information, accomplishments, and benefits you and your business provide.  It can be as long or as short as you want it to be.  Medium length is a good length to create. 

You want to make sure you give your viewers the information they are looking for. List the benefits for them. How you can solve their problems, what solution they will receive in doing business with you, how you can make their life simpler-less stressful.   Answer in your Public Profile area the questions your viewers are asking in their minds, what they are looking for – why they are searching.

Your Public Profile area is where you and your business can shine. But remember, they aren’t asking about you, they are asking what can you do for them!

Make sure you also create your shorter, more professional, LinkedIn Public Profile URL, if you haven’t done so already.

Whether you create your profile yourself or hire a reliable copywriter, don’t overlook your LinkedIn Profile: Your (powerful) Front Page Opportunity!

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Would you like to learn more about using Social Media to increase your online visibility, build profitable relationships, and grow your practice?  Livvie Matthews, a Certified Social Media Specialist, Blogger, and Speaker, is passionate about helping dentists leverage the incredible marketing power social media presents for their practice and their bottom line!  Email  e-mail Livvie@writebusiness.net or visit http://www.writebusiness.net/blog    http://www.linkedin.com/in/livviematthews

Technorati Tags: Building Business, Copywriting, Livvie Matthews, social media marketing

Right on the edge of Charlotte (NC) we have a huge pumpkin patch.  Every year for the past several years, people have come from miles around to purchase their pumpkins.  Couples, singles, families with their children, older people, younger people, and all ages between.

Over this period of time, the owners have added a maze, hayrides, mums and other fall flowers, even pony rides.  You can just purchase your pumpkin from those already picked or you can even walk out into the pumpkin patch and pick your own.  The children love this because they can pull the little  red wagon or ride in the little wagons while choosing their treasured pumpkins.  

From Oct, 1 until mid November, The Stables at Hodges Dairy Farm or the “Pumpkin Patch” as it’s called, is packed with business!

It’s also a great example of  “repurposing”, because  just a few years back this dairy farm had gone out of business.  The barns and everything around it had begun going downhill.  Then they started growing and selling pumpkins. Next they added the wagons and allowing people to go in and pick their own.

After that came the hayrides, and last year they added a huge maze.  While all this was going on, they also started adding parking, because they were now busting at the seams the entire season…the owners of the farm had learned to repurpose!

Repurposing is the most powerful content creation strategy for Internet marketing and Social Media dominance.  This means creating content on a popular topic and then repurposing the content on other media’s for distribution.

For example you write a blog post.  Then you can creat a Podcast, You Tube video, write an article, and even create a series for Twitter, all from using the content created from your original blog post. 

Additional ideas for repurposing could be Twitter survery’s, blog post series, articles series, email tip series (very popular), and PDF guides…for starters.

Then you can create Hubpages linking back to your original blog post and even your website.   Create Squidoo lenses focusing on some of the tips or series created. 

These are just a few of the possibilites to get your creative juices flowing.  What about you, how can you repurpose some of your material already created now that you understand this powerful strategy for Internet Marketing:  The Art of Repurposing Content!

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Would you like to learn more about using Social Media to increase your online visibility, build profitable relationships, and grow your practice?  Livvie Matthews, a Certified Social Media Specialist, Blogger, and Speaker, is passionate about helping dentists leverage the incredible marketing power social media presents for their practice and their bottom line!  Emaill Livvie@writebusiness.net Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net/blog.

Technorati Tags: Building Business, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, social media marketing

Social Media as we know is a very hot buzz word.   As a result key social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have grown by leaps and bounds.  Blogging is growing at a phenomenal rate and social media marketing services have  exploded on the Internet marketing scene!

Social news sites such as Digg and Propeller, social bookmarking sites Delicious and StumbleUpon, video marketing sites like You Tube, article distribution sites such as Ezine Articles, RSS Feeds, and social content sharing sites like Squidoo, Scribd, and Hubpages have burst on the scene becoming social media distribution points. 

But with all these new sites with their added bells and whistles there is one common thread…they all must have some form of written content, even videos use scripts.  From the short 140 characters on Twitter to the in-depth information contained in search engines, it all begins with content.

On the Internet, content is king and always will be because  the vast majority of people use the Internet searching for information and the Internet is the information superhighway. 

But if content is king, then surely social media is queen with all the social media marketing points for mass distribution of content.

Enter the copywriter: One who writes copy (content).  But not just any content, it must be…value related/written content.

Value written content builds creditability and trust, establishes you as a thought leader in your field of expertise, and is the basis for building profitable relationships by showing you care…IF it’s seen. 

Value written content reaches your target market, speaks the language of your audience, provides a solution to their  ”pain”, and brings them back again and again…IF it’s seen.   

Social media marketing takes your value written content and using the social media sites positions your content for mass distribution increasing your Online visibility…getting it seen.

In the past, copywriters created the content, but once passed on to the client, visibility depended on their website being found and/or using a mailing or subscriber list, their direct market print material being seen.   

With the onset of social media, it’s offered copywriters a perfect turnkey solution for their clients.  By creating a targeted content and social media marketing strategy  and action plan,  a copywriter / social media marketing specialist not only writes the relevant content, but as mentioned before, uses the social media sites to position your content for mass distribution increasing your Online visibility and providing increased traffic.

For your next project start out with an advantage.  Work with a copywriter that has the marketing skills to do both…Social Media and Copywriting:  The Best of Both Worlds!

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Would you like to learn more about using Social Media to increase your online visibility, build profitable relationships, and grow your practice?  Livvie Matthews, a Certified Social Media Specialist, Blogger, and Speaker, is passionate about helping dentists leverage the incredible marketing power social media presents for their practice and their bottom line!  Email Livvie@writebusiness.net Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net/blog.

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Building Business, Copywriting, Internet Marketing, social media marketing